By Sunday Ani
Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have called Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to tackle the illegal activities of scavengers and incessant stealing of manholes by enforcing the relevant environmental laws in the state.
The call, which was made at Tuesday’s plenary, followed a motion moved by Gbolahan Yishawu, representing Eti-Osa 2 state constituency.
Titled, “Call on the state government to Curb the activities of scavengers and manhole theft in Lagos,” Yishawu lamented that the illegal waste sourcing by scavengers was damaging the environment. He also noted that manhole cover theft in the state had increased rapidly.
He emphasised the importance of manholes and explained that the scavengers had destroyed a lot of state infrastructures and made the government spend more on their replacement.
He called on the state government to act fast by enforcing all relevant environmental laws to prevent more damage to state infrastructure through the activities of the scavengers, stating that there were enough and adequate laws to curtail the illegal acts.
He also called on the information ministry and relevant agencies to educate and enlighten Lagosians on waste sourcing and sorting for recycling, even as he urged the state government to replace the various stolen manhole covers to avoid accidents.
He charged the state government to stop illegal sourcing of scrap materials, adding that the state should come up with whistler blowing strategies, as well as work with Community Development Associations (CDAs) to ensure that the scavengers do not operate at the grassroots. He also called for the prosecution of any scavenger found stealing the manholes.
Also, Desmond Elliot, representing Surulere 1, commended Yishawu for the motion, and noted manhole covers in Surulere have all been stolen by scavengers.
He called on the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAMWA) to register scavengers, waste sourcing operators and scrap dealers before they could operate in the state, suggesting that all illegal waste sourcing operators should be stopped in Lagos.
Corroborating Yishawu, Kehinde Joseph, representing Alimosho 1 said: “We have all the necessary laws to ensure that stealing of manhole cover does not occur in the state. The laws should be enforced effectively to curb the menace.”
Some other lawmakers contributed to the motion, with all of them calling on the government to live up to its bidding by enforcing all the relevant environmental laws of the state to arrest the ugly trend.
The Speaker of the House, Mojisola Meranda, in summing the members’ contributions, called on Lagosians to play the role of whistleblowers as the state government cannot handle it alone.
She called on the state government to sensitise Lagosians on the negative effects of the activities of the scavengers, as well as educate residents on the difference between sourcing for used products for recycling and stealing of state’s infrastructure.